Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect the correction of an omission in the USTFCCCA's initial release.
USTFCCCA All-Academic Individuals
USTFCCCA All-Academic Teams
July 23, 2021 - The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) has recognized the North Central College women's track & field team for its success in both athletics and academics, awarding the Cardinals the Team Academic Award for the 15th consecutive season. The Cardinals posted the highest team grade-point average in the program's history and placed a record-high 18 student-athletes on the individual All-Academic list.
The Cardinals earn the honor after posting a team grade-point average of 3.617 for the academic year. To be eligible for the award, institutions must be USTFCCCA members and compile a team GPA of 3.10 or better. A total of 209 NCAA Division III women's programs made the list this season, including all nine College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) teams.
The Cardinals' individual award winners include four-time honoree and sprinter/jumper Kelsey McLaurin, while sprinters Katie Bonney and Allison Grady, thrower Alexandra Draves and pole vaulter Kathy Myrda are recognized for the third year and sprinter Stephanie Garcia, distance runner Alexis Henz and middle-distance runners Rachael Vaccaro and Jenna Yakesh appear on the list for the second time. Hurdlers Julia Babinec and Fiorella Ghiorsi, distance runner Jenna Fiore, throwers Irma Golden and Daniele Stubner, sprinter Elizabeth Hodonicky, multi-event athlete Faith Ladin and middle distance runner Emmy Mussey are first-time honorees.
McLaurin finished the indoor season ranked sixth nationally in the triple jump (37'8.75") and 25th in the 200-meter dash (26.18). Bonney ranked seventh nationwide in the 400-meter dash (58.75), 10th in the 200-meter dash (25.80) and 20th in the 60-meter dash (7.91) indoors while joining with Hodonicky, Grady and Yakesh to post a time of 4:02.25 in the 4-by-400-meter relay which ranked 20th. Draves finished the indoor season ranked eighth in the 20-pound weight throw (55'3.50") and Myrda ranked seventh in the pole vault (11'11.75"). Yakesh sat 14th-fastest nationwide in the indoor mile run (5:05.92) and 30th in the 800-meter run (2:19.66) and Henz, Ghiorsi, Mussey and Vaccaro ran on the Cardinals' distance medley relay team which ranked 29th nationwide (13:01.25). Babinec ranked 26th in the 60-meter hurdles (9.21) and Fiore sat 42nd at 3,000 meters (10:36.53) and 50th in the mile (5:18.79) while Horn was 43rd in the pole vault (10'6") and Ladin ranked 46th in the long jump (17'2.75").
Babinec claimed All-America honors at the Division III Outdoor National Championships by placing sixth in the 100-meter hurdles. North Central was also represented at the championship by Ladin (10th, javelin throw), Bonney (13th, 400-meter dash), Golden (14th, hammer throw), Myrda (16th, pole vault), and Draves (18th, hammer throw). Ladin also ranked 22nd nationally in the heptathlon (4,317 points) and teamed with Bonney, Hodonicky and Grady to rank 22nd in the 4-by-400-meter relay (3:52.49), while Garcia ranked 22nd in the 4-by-100-meter relay (47.86) and Stubner ranked 22nd in the javelin throw (132'11"). Yakesh sat 27th in the 1,500 meters (4:37.70) and Bonney also ranked 34th in the 100-meter dash (12.22) while Horn ranked 43rd in the pole vault (11'3.75") and Fiore was 50th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (11:32.83).
Ladin placed first in the heptathlon and javelin throw at the CCIW Outdoor Championships as the Cardinals won the team title for the 11th time, while Garcia ran on the winning 4x100 relay team and Bonney won the 400-meter dash. Garcia is North Central's indoor varsity record holder at 60 meters (7.74), while McLaurin and Draves are the Cardinals' all-time varsity record holders in the indoor triple jump (39'7.75") and 20-pound weight throw (58'3"), respectively. McLaurin also owns the Cardinals' outdoor record in the triple jump (38'10.50").
In all, more than 650 Division III student-athletes made the list, including 68 from the CCIW.
